KEY POINTS:
North Islanders return to work today after basking in unexpectedly warm, sunny conditions for most of Easter.
This is despite the MetService predicting that for the most part it would be a cold and wet weekend.
Holidaymakers bracing for the worst were greeted by late summer-like conditions for much of the North Island. Auckland got to 23.1C yesterday and Hamilton 24.1C.
This forum debate has now closed. Here is a selection of your views on the topic
Dave Carter
Do the weather forecasters realise how many people have had Easter ruined because they stayed at home instead of going away for the weekend? Its just lucky the weather forecast wasn't in reverse otherwise we could have a lot of lost fisherman. Someone is paying these people big wages for nothing I think that advert with Augie saying "does anyone really know" is so accurate.
Bob
Yep there was a southerly change, and it dumped 10 to 20mm of well-needed rain all over Canterbury on Good Friday, and some trampers caught out overnight called it "near freezing"... so the Easter forecast turned out right after all.
Ollie
Until weather forecasters work together to develop the superpowers of redirecting cloudm asses, forcing a cloud to drop rain, diverting polar winds, and controlling the temperature of the planet (let alone the AC in their own cars), we will never have a fully accurate weather forecast. But we may as well try.
Philip
Weather forecasting could be one of the only jobs where you can be wrong a lot of the time and still keep your job!
Mike Jackson
The Met Service couldn't forecast a dry day in the desert! I've lost all faith in the organisation to be able to tell me what the weather will do for tomorrow let alone a whole week ahead. Here in the Manawatu from Good Friday until Easter Monday we had four days of wall to wall sunshine and light winds, far from the forecast of showers and cool southerlies.
Keith
Ken Ring gets it right most days - and his predictions are 365 and more days ahead!
Grant
It seems nzweather.net was on the ball for this weekend. Predictions from the 4th April for the Easter weekend "A few showers for South Island and dry but occasionally cloudy for North." As for the snow and potential flooding for later this week, NZ Weather has been watching that potential grow since the 8th!
Katerina Teo
I tend to take my weather off BBC because been watching them for the past 6mths and they seem to be more accurate than anyone else on the market so far.
Malcolm
I agree with those who have advocated www.metvuw.co.nz as the best source of weather information/forecasts, especially long range (7 days ahead). The irony is that they in part use Metservice data, but they cut the crap and let their charts talk. No "weather ambassador" bollocks, no beat ups.
R
I want it to be wrong again when they forecast rains during week-ends. We won't worry about the forecast then. They too.
Daron
Aren't Metservice the same people who say global warming doesn't exist? I use a variety of sources to check the weather forecast as my sport is very weather dependant. Overall Metservice is mostly wrong. Windspeed and direction are almost always wrong and chances of rainfall are usually off.They should just stick to "50 per cent chance of rain today". Much safer.
Craig
Grundy: "prolonged spell of weather" What? since when did we have any time without weather? And predictions are pretty useful, even though not ever 100 per cent spot on. I may look out my window here but it isn't telling me what's going on halfway down the country.
Paul
I would like the person who can accurately predict the weather 100 per cent of the time to give me a call please, I need a prediction on six numbers and a bonus ball.
SB
I challenge you to show me someone that can predict the weather with 100 per cent accuracy. Is there nothing better to report in the news today?
Stan Coveney
I live in Sydney. With the Southern Hemisphere in an El Nino climate pattern you can almost guarantee that wet weather in S.E. Australia will mean fine weather in much of NZ.
Lawrence Thoms
Hummm.. NIWA say that with climate change it may be a few degrees warmer in a 100 years or so. I might have more faith in their projections if they could get their forecast within a few degrees in the next day or so. NIWA would be well advised to retest their assumptions and source other input in both cases.
Grundy
Why waste public money on weather forecasts? It is easier and more accurate to look out of the window. The only time they get it right is in the middle of a prolonged spell of weather.
Peter
I think our weather forecasting - if you take the forecast, look at the weather map and satellite pictures and use local knowledge, and allow for probabilities/possibilities - is very useful and mostly as accurate as could be expected.
Cath
They got it badly wrong I'm happy to say :-D However, in their defence, weather forecasting is a matter of statistics and "lies, damn lies and statistics" after all. Statistically, based on the data gathered since records started being kept, we should have had a downpour, but Mother Nature doesn't always work the way she's meant to or in a way we can predict. Just the planet reminding us we know very little.So give them a break, they're doing the best in the circumstances and just be happy we had such a glorious weekend!
Katie Leigh
If that was thunderstorms and hailstones – Bring it on!
Isaac
www.metvuw.co.nz is definately the only way to go. From memory, I think they forecast sun all weekend. Metservice and TV is useless - except if you want to see what is not going to happen.
Mark
Hope our Weather Forecasters will get it right sometime this century. After all they only predict but we decide when the weather is good, make the best and forget that the Weatherman/woman thinks how good they are. They get paid anyway for doing the job right or wrong. Wonder how may of us Kiwis get paid for doing the job "wrong" Cheers and way to go Sunshine or Rain!
Phil
My family don't have much faith in the weather report anymore. I guess that's what you get for centralising the weather "service". I agree with one respondant - look out the window...... when I want to get an accurate prediction I consult our trusty barometer - it's not failed me yet. I feel sorry for those that put plans off or lost money from this shonky weather reporting. How do we claim compensation from these monkeys?
Chris White
The weather forecasters are getting it wrong too often in my opinion. This weekend was no exception. As a person who actually looks forward to hearing that we are due to get a good shower of rain (I rely on tank water for drinking on Waiheke Island), it is extremely disappointing not to get any. Why are they getting it wrong so often?
Frank
How can we believe what they say about global worming if they can't predict the weather.
Brad
I was amused to see that the Met Service only updated its forecast for Easter Monday from rain to fine last night, once the brilliant day was over. I guess they've got a better chance of getting it right if they do it like that!
Zpete
I only worry when TV forecasters reckon on fine weather. Most bad forecasts. for Auckland at least, are 80 per cent wrong it seems to me. Someone needs to get their act together at NIWA.
Jase
Reading the article where the forecaster defends the forecast as being "national" I beg to differ - I got a personalised forecast from the MetService Website yesterday for Auckland which said "rain" and basically nothing but rain - this coincidentally was also forecast for today, and the weather is quite stunning again, don't these people look out the windows to check what they're trying to forecast?
Sue Churton
We went North for Easter - to Ahipara and had absolutely brilliant weather. There is a lookout above Ahipara and on Saturday afternoon the weather was so clear you could see right to the top of the island - clear blue skies seemed to go forever. We also wore shorts and t-shirts all weekend it was so mild.
Ron Hawker
We have long passed the stage where we accept the weather report. Mostly we get exactly opposite of what is forecast. Very poor service.
Rob
For the money spent on weather forecasting the Easter weekend accuracy shows once again what a waste of money it is. They can't even get it right even half of the time. Thursday afternoon's forecast for Friday and Saturday was basically "get ready for rain and cold". Neither came. I could create just as accurate weather forecasts by tipping a packet of M&Ms on the floor each day and plotting where the blue, red, yellow ones ended up. Total cost: about $1.70 a day.
Kim Hutcheson
There is only one reliable source of weather information that I have found, and it is extremely accurate. It forecasts wind speed and direction and precipitation levels well enough for me to use it to plan my annual leave around. www.metvuw.com You will need to know how to read an isobaric map, but that is not rocket science!
Don Kavanagh
Having just returned from four perfect days at Lake Taupo where I spent my time walking in glorious bush in bright sunshine, fishing the tranquil waters of the lake and swimming in the (admittedly) icy cold water, I can say with some confidence that I would have been better disembowelling a chicken and reading the weather forecast in its innards than listening to the Metservice. Thanks a bunch. The aforementioned activities were performed while handicapped by a complete lack of warm weather gear, meaning I was sweaty and uncomfortable for much of it. Cheers, Bob and the team at Metservice...
Katherine
The forecasters wouldn't know if their bums were on fire. We don't usually pay much attention to them for exactly these reasons, but did this weekend due to painting plans... if we'd listened, we wouldn't have painted a single picket and would still be waiting for torrential rain to turn up!
Jeanette
Typical - wrong again.
Sharon Ralph
Ken Ring's weather book pretty much got it right over the Easter break, claiming fine weather throughout for Auckland, the opposite to NIWA! C'mon NIWA, get it right, and please use ordinary English, not weatherspeak! If you want an alternative forecast look up www.predictweather.com!
